Yesterday's sentencing of South Australia Police (SAPOL) over the death of an employee in a freezer has provided crucial WHS lessons for PCBUs with workers who work alone. Meanwhile, the State Government has flagged laws to protect the health of emergency workers from "disgusting behaviour".
A Senate inquiry into sleep health awareness has warned that many employers use suboptimal shift structures that endanger workers' health and safety, and recommended the development of a nationally consistent approach to work hours and rest breaks for shift workers.
Effectively controlling work-related psychological risks "can only be achieved" through discussions between PCBUs and their workers, according to the Ai Group, which warns against amending the model WHS Regulations to prescribe such control measures.
> Anti-bullying laws locked in for WA's IR overhaul; > New regulations tackle emerging electrocution risk in Qld; and > Gas safety and work health laws pass in Qld.
A major literature review has found welders are at a 43 per cent increased risk of lung cancer. Meanwhile, Norwegian researchers have warned about the importance of preventing hand-arm vibrations, in a study showing the ensuing numbness and finger pain can be irreversible.
Pre-employment testing for physically demanding work needs to involve an "in-depth investigation" of workers' abilities, including their task-specific fitness and aptitude for working safely, according to a European study on an emerging high-risk industry.
Workplaces could be heading into a mental illness "epidemic" under current management practices, warns a prominent workplace safety expert, who says resources need to be allocated to quality working conditions immediately.
Shift work disorder (SWD) affects more than just night workers, according to European researchers, who found the symptoms are particularly prominent during morning shifts, causing workers to be sleepier and eroding their alertness.
Australia's first Code of Practice for the mental health of fly-in-fly-out workers, which includes valuable information for multiple industries, has been finalised and released in Western Australia. Meanwhile, a regulator has urged employers to prepare for impending changes to regulations for a hazardous substance.
